Gamera (50th anniversary short film)
Gamera is a short film, which was created and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gamera franchise. The project, initially implied to be a new film, was first alluded to in March of 2014, with a listing on AmiAmi.Loo, Egan (March 12, 2014). New Gamera Project Listed by Retailer Anime News Network. Retrieved April 22, 2018【朗報】特撮映画『ガメラ』復活キタ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━！！ As of 2018, the trailer acts as a proof of concept for the idea of a new film, and as a means to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary. Originally, it was implied that the trailer, now concept piece, was set to be a reboot to the Gamera series, but with three years passing, and no new news to speak of, the idea's seemingly fallen into obscurity. Development This film's existence was revealed through the retailer Amiami, which listed that the May 16 2014 issue of Kadokawa's Tokusatsu Newtype magazine would be having a lead feature on the upcoming film. More than a year after the original announcement, on October 8, 2015, Kadokawa held a special 50th anniversary presentation for Gamera at New York Comic-Con, and showcased posters and a trailer; possibly test footage for the upcoming film. The crowd in attendance received commemorative T-shirts. The panel revealed that the film's official title is Gamera and that it would be directed by Katsuhito Ishii. The film's release date was not disclosed, nor were any plans to release it outside of Japan, though Kadokawa's representatives hinted that they wanted the film to have a global audience. An official website dedicated to Gamera's 50th anniversary was launched later that day. The website indicated that the footage shown at NYCC would be screened at the 2015 Tokyo International Film Festival along with restored versions of the films Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris later in October.(October 9, 2015). ガメラ生誕50周年記念映像が公開、クドカンがギャオスの餌食に Natalie.mu. Retrieved April 22, 2018gamera-50th.jp The monsters in the sequence are all portrayed using . Miki Takahama who had designed all Gamera incarnations in the Heisei films was in charge of designing this Gamera. Gamera's face closely resembles his 1999 incarnation, with some elements of his original 1965 design, but the rest of his design is largely unique.「別冊映画秘宝 特撮秘宝」(Bessatsu Eiga Hihou - "Tokusatsu Hihou") vol.2 His body features light brown skin, spikes on his wrists and ankles(November 26, 2015). 『GAMERA』石井克人監督 インタビュー（続報）最新のVFX技法を取り入れ、" 新世代の特撮"を実現させる CGWorld.jp. Retrieved April 22, 2018, and a jagged bumpy shell. He has very thick bulky limbs and stands in a much more hunched-over posture than usual. According to director Katsuhito Ishii, this Gamera's design is mostly based on his 2006 design, with some elements of his 1999 design mixed in. Ishii also revealed that Kadokawa originally wanted Gamera's height to be 100 meters, but he later downsized it to 65 meters (later mentioned to possibly be 70 meters instead in an interview[http://hobbyjapan.co.jp/uchusen/vol151/ Uchusen Vol. 151. Katsuhito Ishii; Page 92.] Hobby Japan. Retrieved April 22, 2018) because he felt 100 meters was far too large to stand on the streets of Tokyo. Gamera's arms, legs, tail, and shell are all much larger in proportion to his body than in past designs, due to the full-CGI nature of the design eliminating the physical limitations of actors wearing suits. Gamera also possesses his traditional roar, which was missing in Gamera: The Brave. The Gyaos resemble their Hyper Gyaos incarnations, but their skin color is reminiscent of their Showa and 1995 designs. Gyaos' facial design was reportedly heavily based on snakes, most notably their tongues, and a miniature model for their final design has bent prongs on the bases of its wings. The Gyaos possess a new roar, though they occasionally utter their classic screech. The new unnamed possesses at least four tentacles, two of which it can raise behind its body and fire what appears to be some sort of energy barrier sphere. Anything caught in the barrier spheres implodes violently and disappears. Ishii commented that there are several reasons behind using CGI instead of suits; to reduce the cost of the film, and to make the film more accessible to global audiences. Plot The footage shown at New York Comic-Con starts with a flashback to Tokyo ten years in the past. A young boy and his father are seen running from the swarms of Gyaos attacking the city. The boy's father pushes his son out of the way just before he is eaten by a Gyaos pursuing them. As the Gyaos prepares to consume the boy as well, Gamera smashes through a nearby building and steps on the Gyaos, crushing its skull and causing its eyeball to pop out. Gamera then turns to an approaching swarm of Gyaos and takes in a huge breath of air before unleashing a gigantic blast of fire that melts the flesh from the Gyaos' bodies and destroys them. The trailer then skips ahead to Tokyo ten years later, where an unnamed creature is devastating the city. Suddenly, Gamera appears once again to challenge the monster and roars just before the shot cuts to a screen simply saying GAMERA. Appearances Monsters *Gamera *Gyaos (NYCC footage) *Unnamed Tentacled Monster (NYCC footage) External links *Official website. References Category:Gamera (50th anniversary) - Film